Receptacle



March 18, 1958 J. J. CLEMENT 2,821,217

RECEPTACLE Filed Feb. 1, 1957 5 Sheets-Sheet l I Wka lllllll 11 I 4 INVENTOR.

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March 18, 1953 J, CLEMENT 2,827,217

RECEPTACLE Filed Feb. 1, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 3 B 6 .16

INVENTOR.

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March 38, 1958 J. J. CLEMENT 2,327,217

RECEPTACLE Filed Feb. 1, 1957 s Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR. 6101mm,

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United States Patent RECEPTACLE Joseph J. Clement, Williamsville, N. Y.

Application February 1 1957, Serial No. 637,715

1 Claim. (Cl. 2291.S) v

This invention relates to receptacles for flower pots, such receptacles being generally called planters.

Planters are made in various forms, many being of ornamented metal and therefore of substantial cost and of a permanent type. On the other hand there is a substantial demand for less permanent and more economical receptacles of this class and more recently planters of molded plastic material have been made available. Even planters of this type do not meet certain requirements.

Florists, for instance, find it highly desirable to deliver potted plants to the customer in a receptacle which conceals the usually unsightly flower pot and prevents leakage therefrom. Plastic planters do not meet this need both because of undue cost and because of the substantial space which a supply of such planters requires.

The present invention provides an extremely economical receptacle for potted plants and one which may be set up as needed from flat paper or cardboard blanks which are suitably waterproofed and decorated. Furthermore, the cost of the receptacles of the present invention is but a fraction of the cost of any planters available up to now. The receptacles of the present invention may be decorated in flat blank form by printing, spraying, stenciling or by any other method which may be employed in decorating fiat sheets of paper or the like.

Many other objects and advantages of the planters of the present invention will appear to those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains from a consideration of the several embodiments thereof which are depicted in the accompanying drawings and described in the following detailed specification. However, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific forms thus set forth by way of example and illustration, nor otherwise excepting as defined in the appended claim.

in the drawings:

Fig. l is a fragmentary view'of a generally circular blank for fabricating one form of the planter of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of a retaining and spacing "ring adapted to be employed in the planter set up from the blank of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a planter set up from the blanks illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2;

rig. 4 is a perspective view of a planter generally similar to the planter of Fig. 3 but of oblong shape and adapted to hold two flower pots;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary cross sectional view on the line VV of Fig. 3 but on a considerably enlarged scale, showing the means by which the parts are locked in assembled position;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary plan view of the retaining and spacing ring of the planter of Fig. 4;

7 is a fragmentary cross sectional view on the line Vii-VH of Fig. 4 on an enlarged scale and showing the means for locking the parts in assembled position, such means constituting a modification of the means illustrated in Fig. 5;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary perspective view of a modified 2,827,217. Patented Mar. 18, 1958 "ice 2 planter construction showing a further modification of the means for-maintaining the parts in assembledposition;

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary vertical cross sectional view through the interlocking means of Fig. 8;

Fig. 10 is a top plan view of a further embodiment of the planter of the present invention with the parts in assembled condition;

Fig. 11 is a fragmentary vertical cross sectional view on the line XI-XI of Fig. 10 showing the means-for maintaining the parts assembled;

Fig. 12 is a fragmentary top plan view of a still further embodiment of the planterof the present invention in assembled condition;

Fig. 13 is a fragmentary cross sectional view on the line XIlI-XIII of Fig. 12;

Fig. 14 is a fragmentary disassembled perspective view of a further modification .of the assembly means of the planter of the present invention;

Fig. 15 is a fragmentary top plan view of the planter of Fig. 14 with portions thereof in cross section; and

Fig. 16 is a perspective view of base member upon which a flower pot may rest in the receptacle.

Like characters of reference denote like parts throughout the several figures of the drawings and, referring first to the embodiment of Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 5, the numeral 20 in Fig. 1 designates a generally circular blank scored as shown to form a circular central bottom-forming portion 11, accordion pleat portions 12 and unpleated intervening side wall portions 13. The portions designated 15 in Fig. 1 form gussets at the bottoms of the pleats to facilitate formation thereof and to maintain the circularity of the bottom of the receptacle as appears in Fig. 3. it will be noted that the margin of the blank 10 is indented at the pleat portions as at 16 so that top of the finished container is fiat and regular, likewise as shown in Fig. 3.

The blank lb may be waterproofed and decorated in various ways. In a preferred form a paper base sheet may be provided with a waterproof surface of polyethylene by spraying or by laminating a sheet of polyethylene or similar material to the paper. 7 The surface of the paper which is treated in this manner will comprise the inner surface of the container. The opposite surface of the paper base sheet may have adhesively applied thereto a sheet of aluminum foil or other metallic foil or may be decorated in any of a wide variety of ways known in the paper decorating art, including crimping and embossing.

It will be noted that the pleat portions 12 are provided, near their upper or outer ends, with perforations 17, which serve as interlocking means in a manner which will presently appear.

Fig. 2 illustrates a relatively stiff cardboard ring member 20 which is provided with V-shaped marginal notches 21 having relatively narrow inwardly extending slots 22 at their inner ends. A notch 21 is provided in ring member 2i for each pair of pleat portions 12 of blank 10.

In setting up the receptacle or planter of Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 5 the pleat portions 12 of blank 10 are tucked one after the other into the notches 21 and slots 22 of ring member 20, which automatically forms the frusto-conical side wall of the device as clearly shown in Fig. 3. When each pleat is tucked firmly in place the perforations 17 thereof will register with the angular projections occurring at the junctures of the notches 21 and the slots 22 of ring member 20 and the parts thus interlock as clearly shown in Fig. 5 to a degree suflicient to maintain the parts in the finally assembled position shown in Fig. 3.

The central opening in ring member 20 serves to center a flower pot and retain the same securely against shifting in the planter. As appears in Fig. 5, the diameters of the parts and the depths of the pleats and notches in this embodiment of the invention are such that an annular space is present between the periphery of ring member 20 andthe adjacent interior wall of the receptacle. This permits watering the plant from the bottom of the pot, as is considered highly desirable, by introducing water through this annular space.

, Fig. 16 shows a disc 25 :which 'may conveniently-and economically comprise all or a part of the material cut from ring member 20 to form the central opening therein.

.Disc 25 is perforated as at 26 and is placed in the-bottom of the receptacle so that the flower pot rests thereon, thus facilitating drainage from the pot and serving as a reinforcing base for stiffening the receptacle.

7 Reference 'will now be had to the form of the planter ofthe present invention depicted in Figs. 4,6 and 7. As is clearly shown in Fi 4, this embodiment of the invention provides an oblong'planter which accommodates two flower pots. The blank which forms the receptacle proper, the latter being designated by the numeral 28, is basically the same as the blank shown in Fig. 1 excepting for the oblong shape and the absence of pleat formations along the side wall portions. The ring member 29 of Fig. 4 is shaped to fit the oblong receptacle and provided with two circular openings 39 for locating and retaining a pair of flower pots. In the form illustrated in Fig. 4 the ring member 29 is provided with down-bent stifiening flanges 31 along its side edges.

As appears from Figs. 6 and 7, the manner in which the pleat formations are interlocked with the notches in the ring member is somewhat modified. It is to be noted that this interlocking method is not peculiar to the planter of Fig. 4 but is shown here merely for convenience of illustration and is interchangeable with the method described in connection with the planter of Figs. 1, 2 and 5.

In the'embodiment of Figs. 4, 6 and 7 the pleats 33 have perforations 34, seetFig. 7, just as in the case of the preceding embodiment. Also, the ring member 29 has notches 36 and narrow slots 37 extending inwardly therefrom. However, the notches and slots of the ring mem ber 29 have complementary indentations and protuberances, designated respectively by the numerals 40 and 41, at; the junctures of the notches 36 and slots 37. The manner in which the protuberances engage the perforations 34 when the pleats 33 are tucked into the notches and slots is believed to be clearly shown in Fig. 7. The indentations merely facilitate tucking the pleatsin the slots'past the protuberances.

In the; succeeding modifications of Figs. 8 through 15 the blanks are formed and scored to provide continuous accordion pleats without the 'unpleated portions such as at 13 in Figs. 1 and 3. Apart from this the several following modifications differ in the provision which is made for retaining the pleats of the receptacle portion of the planter in engagement with the notches of the ring member.

Referring now to the embodiment shown in Figs. 8 and 9, the pleats of a receptacle 44 fit into sawtooth notches formed in the outer margin of a ring member 45. The sawtooth notches of ring member 45 have projections enter the perforations 48of the ring member to lock the receptacle and the ring member into the same general relative assembled positions as in the preceding embodiments.

Referring now to the further modified form ofthe planter of the present invention illustrated in Figs. 10 and ll; the receptacle with its pleated side walls is designated 54 and the ring member with its sawtooth marginal formations is designated. 55. In this embodiment the accordion pleats of receptacle 54 are provided with hori zontally alined perforations 56 and 57 which occur at the folds of the pleats. The'points of thesawtooth formations of'ring member 55 project into the perforations 56 and the root portions .of these sawtooth formations engage the perforations 57. A rubber band 59 is stretched about the receptacle 54 adjacent to the projecting points of the sawtooth formations of the ring member 55 as clearly shown in Fig. 11. similar retaining member may be. used instead of the rubber band 59.

In the embodiment of Figs. 12, and 13 the heavy cardboard ring member found in each of the preceding modifications is dispensed with. As in the embodiment of 1 Figs. 10 and 11, an accordion pleated receptacle 61 is provided with horizontally alined perforations 62 and 63 at the folds of thepleats thereof. A circular wire ring 64 is placed within the receptacle 61 to seat in the'several perforations 63 and a rubber band 65-is stretched about the receptacle to seat in the perforations 62. Here again the rubber band 65 may be replaced by a wire ring or similar retaining member.

In the embodiment of Figs. 14 and 15 a pleated receptacle 68 similar to those of the embodiments of Figs. 10

' and 12 is employed. In this instance, however, the perforations are formed in the sides of the pleats as at 69, instead of in their fold portions. In this embodiment a ring member 70 has marginal sawtooth formations as in Figs. 8 and 10 but each of the sawtooth formations has a lateral projection as at 71 in Figs. 14 and 15. Upon assembly of the pleats over the sawtooth formations the projections 71 fit into the perforations 69 as clearly shown in Fig. 15.

I claim:

In a planter adapted to be set up as required from fiat blanks of sheet material, a receptacle member comprising a bottom wall and a continuous side wall thereabout formed with upwardly extending accordion pleats whereby the receptacle member is seamless and substantially leakproof, a ring member comprising a relatively stiif sheet as at 46 in Fig. 8 and perforations are formed in the ring 7 having a. central aperture for receiving and locating a flower pot' and a notched outer periphery adapted to inter-' fit with the pleats of the side wall of the receptacle memher and form a shaping guide for said side wall, perforations in said pleats, and projections on said peripheral notches engageable therewith for retaining said pleats in interfitting engagement with the notches of said ring member.

References-Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 236,518 Vivarttas Jan. 11, 1881 In the alternative, a wire ring or 7 

